Lighting system



LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed July 12, 1943 E M @z zs g3 55 0 43 24 39 3/ 404 44 3o Q I I 38 49 Q 50 Aug. 7, 1945.

24 23 3/ as 33 40 43 0 4 I-Q v lNVENTOR K512725271 L. James ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 7, 1945 amass mon'rmo srs'ram Kenneth L. Jones, Lansing, Mich, minor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a

corporation of Delaware Application July 12, 194:, Serial No. 494,311

(Cl. s s-as:

8 Claims.

This invention relates to lighting system for use on automotive vehicles, having the regular head, parking, tail and stop light indicating lamps of usual intensity and also with other head lights special nature for black-out purposes. I v This invention is particularly suitable for controlling the various lamp filaments for two conditions of driving, namely black-out driving with only the stop light burning normally when the brakes-are applied, and night driving with the regular or service head and tail light burning.

An object 01' the present invention, is to provide a lighting system in which a plurality of different lamp circuits are connected in parallel with the source and each circuit is provided with a protective device which is arranged in a manner that when a particular one of the circuits is closed the protective device in said one circuit will cause the other protective device in the other circuit to open the said other circuit.

Further objects and advantages oi the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a wiring diagram illustrating a Dreierred embodiment oi' the present invention.

Fig, 21s a wiring diagram after the switch controlling the dim out lamps is closed.

Referring to the diagrams, a current source or storage battery 20, which is grounded at 2!, is connected by a wire 22 with one end of a thermal or bimetal warp element 23. The th'ermal element is represented as being a bimetallic strip having one end tired to a support 24 and having its free end normally engaging a stationary contact 2i.

ll'l'i'iihermal element 23 is so constructed that whenever abnormal current passes therethrough it will be heated causing it to warp or be deflected from the stationary contact 25 as shown in Fig.

2. The thermal element is preferably made from dissimilar metals or metal alloy which have enough high resistance in order to carry the normal current withoutgenerating enough heat to cause a deflection.

The contact 26 is connected by a wire 26 to a terminal a of a lighting switch 28. The switch It has a movable contact 29 adapted to move into one position to bridge stationary contacts ll, ll and 32 and into another position to bridge contacts 02, 33 and 34. The contacts 3| and 33 are connected togeth'er by a conductor 35. The

contact 80 isconnected by a wire it with a parkmg light circuit having a parking lamp TI. The contact 32 is connected by a wire 30 with a tail light circuit having a tail lamp 38. The contact 33 is connected by a wire 40 with one terminal of a stop light switch 4! actuated by the brake lever (not shown). The switch 4| is provided with a movable contact; 42 movable into engagement with a contact 43 which is connected by a wire 44 with the stop light circuit having a lamp 4!. The contact 34 is connected by a wire 48 with a terminal 41 of a dimmer switch having a movable contact 48 engageable either with contact 48 or 50. When the contact 48 is in the dim position the contact 48 will engage contact 48 to connect the dim filaments 5! of the main head lights 52 with the source 01 current. When the contact 48 is in "bright" position the contact 48 will engage contact 50 to connect the bright" filaments 53 with the current source.

The wire 22 is connected also by a wire 55 with a terminal 56 of an auxiliary switch 51 having a movable contact 58 movable into engagement with a contact 59 and which is connected by a wire 60 with black-out lamps 6!. The wire. 50 is connected also by a wire 62 which is connected to one end of a heater element or a resistance unit 83. The other end oi the heater is grounded. The heater element is adjacent the thermal or bimetal warp element 23. When the heater element is energized it radiates heat to warp the element- 23 causing same to warp from the position oi Fig. 1 to the positional. Fig. 2.

The operation of the circuit is as follows: With th'e switch 51 closed current will flow from the current source 20 through the wire 55, switch 51, wire 60 from which the current is divided at point 10; a portion of the current will flow to the blackout lamp 8! to ground while another portion of the current will flow from the point" through wire 82, Heater 88 and then to ground. The heater element upon being energized radiates heat to warp element .23 causing the free end thereof to leave contact 25 to break the connection between the battery and the contact 33. Thus, it is obvious that in case the movable contact 29 is moved by an actuator 15 to bridge contacts 30, 3|, 32 or contacts 82, 33, 84 no current can flow to the head lamps 52, the parking lamp comprising, a current source; a main head light circuit; an auxiliary head lamp circuit; a thermal switch element in' the main head light circuit and responsive to overload currents in the main lamp circuit and also to excessive heat to open the main head lamp circuit; a main switch in circuit with the source for controlling the head lamp circuit; an auxiliary switch in circuitwith the source 'for controlling the auxiliary head lamp circuit;

a resistance connected in a circuit in parallel with the auxiliary head lamp circuit which will heat up to activate the thermal element to open the main head lampclrcuit upon closure 01 the auxiliary,

switch.

2. A lighting system for an automotive vehicle comprising, a current source; a main lamp circuit including head lamps, park lamps and a tall lamp; an auxiliary head lamp circuit; a. switch for selectively connecting the park and tail lamp in circuit or the head lamps and the tail lamp in the circuit with the source; an auxiliary sw.tch for connecting the auxiliary lamp in circuit with the source; a thermostat switch connected in series with the main lamp circuit and responsive to overload currents in the main lamp circuit and also to excessive heat to open said circuit; and a heater element adjacent the thermostat switch and arranged in a circuit upon closure oi the auxiliaryiswitch whereby. the heater element is energized causing the thermostat switch to deflct and open the main lamp circuit.

3? A lighting system for avehicle comprlsmg, a current source; two sets which is dim-out" and the other is bright; two switches, one adapted to control the. circuit between the .dim-out lamps and the source,

the other to control the -circuit between the "bright" and the source; athermal switch element connected in series in. the "bright" circuit; an electrical heating elementconnected in parelement being located adjacent said thermal g whereby when the "dim-out circuit is closed by its switch the heating element will radiate suiiiof driving lamps, one of allel with the "dim-out" circuit, and said heating arranged in proximity to the thermal element and .connected in a circuit in parallel with the circuit leading to the auxiliary lamp only when the auxiliary lamp circuit is closed and heated to cause the thermal element to flex to interrupt current flow in itself and to the main signal lamp, said thermal element remaining in a flexed condition until the auxiliary lamp circuit is opened.

5. In an electrical control or the character described for controlling the operation 0! vehicle 'signal lamps; the combination comp; a

main lamp circuit; an auxiliary lamp circuit; independent switch means for opening and closing each oi'said circuits: manually-operable means for. actuating said switch means to close said circuits, thermostat means in series with the main. lamp circuit a resistance element connected in parallel with'the auxiliary lamp circuit and in proximity to the thermostat means, whereby the thermostat means is rendered inoperative to complate the main signal lamp circuit when the auxiliary lamp circuit is closed, said thermostat means being eflected by the heat of the resistance element to open the main lamp circuit, said thermostat means maintaining the main lamp circuit open only when the auxiliary lamp circuit is closed.

6. A control system comprising in combination; a current' source; a stop light circuit; a mam head light circuit; an auxiliary head lamp circuit; a thermal switch element in the-stop light and main head light circuits and responsive to overload currents and also toexcessive heat to open the stop light and main head light circuits; 9. first switch in circuit with the source for controlling the stop light circuit; a second-switch in circuit with the source for controlling the main head lamp circuit; a third switch in circuit with thesource for controlling the auxiliary head lamp circuit; a heat producing device connected in a circuit in parallel with the auxiliary head lamp circuit which will produce heat to flex the thermal element to. open the stop light andthe main lamp circuit upon closure oi the third switch. 7

L. JONES. 

